


Blindspot

by grimorie



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimorie/pseuds/grimorie
Summary: It’s an understatement to say, her life’s gone in a completely different direction than the one she imagined.





	Blindspot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theotherpope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theotherpope/gifts).



> A tag to and before the ending of _Mors Praematura_.

It’s an understatement to say, her life’s gone in a completely different direction than the one she imagined. 

Going from Homicide Detective to Beat Cop was one of life’s left turns she wasn’t expecting but if her life taught Joss anything, it’s that sometimes you need to lean into the turn. 

Joss walked briskly, John called her asking for help, she was about to protest when she decided that she needed to get out of her apartment and clear her head. She had so many things going on that when she finally looked up, she realized her was in front of the building where Finch and John’s safe house was located. 

It was ironic how this building felt more like her workplace than the new precinct she was assigned to. 

Joss contemplated all the balls she has up in the air: her job as a cop on the beat, HR investigations, and whatever it is she has to do with John and Finch. 

She finally had a sliver of a silver lining with Laskey. Laskey’s run-in with Simmons seemed to do the job of removing his blinders but unfortunately, it costed a man his life. More crimes Joss can pin down to HR. 

Laskey could even be a real asset, Joss just needed to keep a tight leash on the kid and keep putting the fear of God in him. 

But at least— 

Her thoughts ground to a screeching halt. There was an unconscious woman tied up on the chair. She stepped inside Finch’s safe house, closed the door and hissed, “ _John_!” 

“John’s not here,” a new voice called from the corner. 

Joss almost jumped and glared at Shaw. Shaw was leaning against the wall with a look of amusement on her face. Joss scowled. 

“Why is there an unconscious woman here?” Joss paused then repeated, “Why is there an unconscious woman tied up here?!”

“Knocked her out earlier and I’m keeping her under sedation,” Shaw said, moving forward to pick up a whiskey bottle. “Want some of this?” 

She ignored the offer, “Shaw.”

Shaw poured herself a drink then nodded at the woman, “She’s Root, John said you knew about her.” 

It took a second before she made the connection — a missing girl in Texas, murder by proxy, and a young blonde girl in plaid looking up at Hanna Frey in adoration. 

“Sam Groves.” It was Shaw’s turn to look at her, askance. “That’s her name.” 

“Please,” a hoarse voice said, “Call me Root.” 

Joss turned her head and saw the woman bring her head up giving Joss a clear view of her face. She flashed a smile at Joss then let her head fall to the side. 

She looked at the woman and automatically compared the photo of the girl to the woman before her. She grew her hair out in a way that reminded Joss of Hanna Frey but she can still find the vague outline of Sam Groves on the woman’s face. 

The little she gleaned of Sam Groves during her investigation drew a picture of a smart but neglected girl trapped in a small Texas town that didn’t know what to do with her. 

Reading between the lines, Joss guessed that being ignored and forgotten was partly something Sam Groves encouraged. Even then she learned to hide in plain sight. 

Joss Carter didn’t forget about Sam Groves nor did she underestimate her. Groves orchestrated a hit when she was just a kid. Sure, she got why Groves did what she did but the cop in her didn’t excuse anything Groves did after that. 

During the flight from New York to Texas John briefed her about everything he knew about the woman called Root, including her involvement with Scott Powell and Pete Matheson way back when, and with all these facts in mind, Joss kept a wary eye on Root. 

Root kept smiling at her in a way Joss was finding unnerving, thankfully her focus shifted to Shaw and the smile changed slightly. 

“You tied me up.” 

Shaw’s reply was neutral, “And knocked you out.” 

Joss looked from Shaw to Root then back to Shaw, who seemed to be studiously ignoring Joss. 

“You’re Detective Carter,” Root said. 

Joss bit the inside of her mouth to keep from correcting Root, Joss changed to her street clothes and she had no desire to give Root more information about herself. “I am.”

“I’m sorry about your demotion, you didn’t deserve it.” 

She suddenly felt like she was in an interrogation room with a perp who's holding all the cards, Joss didn’t like that feeling. “How’d you know about that?” 

“I wanted to thank you,” Root continued, ignoring Joss’s own hostile tone, “for what you did for my friend Hanna.”

This gave Joss pause and in that brief moment it wasn’t Root she was talking to but the young unheard girl from Bishop who was told to shut up when she spoke up. “Hanna deserved a proper burial.” 

And then Sam Grove blinked and the moment was gone, in her place was Root, “I owe you, Detective Carter. I heard you were looking into HR. If you need help bringing down HR—“

“How do you plan on doing that?” Shaw drawled, walking over to sit on the coffee table. She cut off Joss’s line of sight to Root, “when you’re all tied up here.” 

“I’m very talented,” there was a hint of a Texan twang and playfulness in Root’s voice. This time Joss did raise her eyebrow. 

Shaw grabbed a black bag then turned an exasperated look at Joss, as if to say ‘see what I have to deal with?’. 

Her phone began to ring, she looked down. It was Finch.

“If that’s Harry—“

Shaw moved behind Root and then suddenly stuck a needle on Root’s neck, Joss heard Root let out a hiss then angle her head up. Her grin was hazy, and there was a slur to her words when she told Shaw, “I’ll get you back for this one day.” 

Shaw only snorted and dropped the black bag on her head. 

Joss closed her eyes. She should get used to how off kilter and strange things are when she’s around these people. She also felt like she’s developing a headache, “I don’t want to be an accessory to kidnapping.” She remembered John and the Drakes then added, “Again.”

“Who said anything about kidnapping?” Shaw said peaceably. 

She moved to stand in front of Root, as if the very act of doing so made the unconscious woman invisible. Joss looked at Shaw in disbelief. 

Her phone rang again. 

“I think that’s Finch.” Shaw said. 

“Shaw—“ 

“Think of this as a kind of Rendition.” 

“That’s still illegal.” 

Shaw smiled, “Then I guess you have to talk to my boss.” Shaw stuck her foot behind her and the chair and Root rolled back. 

Joss turned around herself, she’s already playing with a slim definition of plausible deniability, and answered the phone with a growl: “Finch, you have some explaining to do.”

“Ah… Detective,” Finch’s voice said, “that’s a thorny subject… which, we can discuss another time. I’m afraid I need your help, it’s a matter of life and death.” 

Joss heard a noise behind her and when she turned to look, Root and the chair was nowhere to be seen. Shaw had pulled out a sandwich from somewhere. 

She narrowed her eyes again, “This isn’t done.” 

Both Shaw and Harold answered, 

“Sure.” 

“If you wish, Detective.” 

Joss walked to the door. Her life is too bizarre, and the story about the boiled frog came to mind. She just hopes she knew when to leap out of the pot. 

**Author's Note:**

> The request was for Carter and Root to meet, I hope I did it justice!
> 
> (Thanks to seekingoutfriday for some beta! All mistakes are mine!).


End file.
